Adjustable roller assembly



June 26, 1962 R. M. sAUNDERs 3,040,391

ADJUSTABLE ROLLER ASSEMBLY Filed July 29, 1958 INVENTOR F/G 4 ROBERT M .SAU/vans BY mw ATTORNEY United States Patent C 3,645,391 ADEUSTAELE RLLER ASllMBLi( Robert M. Saunders, 4119 Hayward Ave., Baltimore 15, Md. Filed July 29, 1953, Ser. No. 751,738 1 Claim. (Cl. 2li- 19) This invention relates to a door, and more particularly to an adjustable roller assembly for a door.

The object of the invention is to provide an adjustable roller assembly for use with a sliding or rolling door and wherein the roller assembly can be readily and conveniently adjusted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable roller assembly which not only permits ready and convenient adjustment for the door, but also permits the door to be conveniently raised or lowered and aligned so that the door will meet the door jambs properly and accurately and wherein the present invention also forms a structural part of the door and acts as a corner bracket and brace.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable roller assembly which can be easily adjusted by one person without the neceessity of removing the door from the track, and wherein adjustment is accomplished by merely inserting a screw driver through an access opening and then turning the screw driver and simultaneously checking the alignment so that the adjustment can be accomplished in a very short period of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable roller assembly which is extremely simple and Yinexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part f this application, and in which like numerals are used to desi'gnate like parts throughout the same.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view illustrating a movable door provided with the adjustableroller assembly of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the parts of the adjustable -roller assembly disassembled.

FIGURE 3 is a `horizontal sectional view illustrating the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral indicates a door which embodies a pair of spaced parallel vertically disposed U-shaped side members A11 and the door further includes a horizontally disposed bottom rail 12. The numeral -13 indicates a track which is horizontally disposed and which is arranged below the door 10, and the door 10 may also include a panel 19.

The present invention is directed to adjustable roller assemblies which are each indicated by the numeral 14, and one of the roller assemblies 14 is adapted to be arranged contiguous to each of the lower corners of the door 1t). As shown in the drawings, each roller assembly 14 includes a U-shaped bracket 15, FIGURE 2, and the bracket 15 embodies a pair of rectangular spaced parallel vertically disposed side walls 16. The side walls 16 are provided with registering apertures or openings 17, and a rod 18 extends through the apertures 17 for connecting the bracket 15 to the bottom rail 12.

Each of the side walls 16 is further provided with a cutout 20, and extending inwardly from the side wall 16 adjacent the cutout 20 are inwardly struck flanges 21 which deine limit stop members. The numeral 22 indicates a securin-g element or nut which is arranged contiguous to the cutouts 20, and the securing element 22 is arranged between the llanges 21 whereby the flanges 21 .ICC

serve to limit movement of the securing element 22. The Aadjustable roller assembly of the present invention is arranged in a lower corner portion of the door in such a manner that the top of the securing element 22 can bear against the horizontally disposed adjacent lower portion of the door whereby the securing element 22 cannot accidentally become separate from the cutout 20. The numeral 23 indicates a screw member which embodies a threaded shank 24 that is arranged in threaded engagement with the securing element 22, and the screw member 23 further includes a pointed end 25 and a tool engaging head 26. Thus, the head 26 is provided with kerfs or slits 27 whereby a screw driver or the like can be used for readily turning or adjusting the screw member 23 for a purpose to be later described.

As shown in the drawings, the bracket 15 further includes a web or crosspiece 29 which is provided with an access opening 28 that registers with an access-opening 30 in the side member 11, FIGURE 4. The registering openings 28 and 30 permit a screw driver or other tool to be readily inserted therethrough for rotating or adjusting the screw member 23.

The crosspiece 29 of the bracket 15 is connected to the side member 11 by means of a screw 33l which extends through registering openings 32 and 31 in the side member and crosspiece. The opening 31 may be threaded for threadedly receiving the screw 33.

The roller assembly of the present invention further includes a support member 34 which is adjustably mounted between the side walls 16, and the support member 34 includes a pair of spaced parallel side sections 35 and a top section 36. The side sections 35 are provided with registering openings 37 which are aligned with registering openings 38 in the side walls 16, and a pivot pin 39` extends through the registering openings 37 and 38. The lower edges of the side sections 35 are inclined as indicated by the numeral 40, and the upper corner portion of the support member 34 is cutaway as indicated by the numeral 41. The numeral 42 indicates a roller or wheel which is journaled between the side sections 35 by means of a pin 43, and the roller 42 is provided with an annular groove 44 that is adapted to engage the track 13 therebelow.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided an adjustable roller assembly for use with movable doors such as the door 10. The rollers 42 which travel along the track 13 can be made of any suitable material such as nylon and suitable bearings can be provided for use with the roller. It is to be noted that with a pair of the roller assemblies 14 mounted in the lower corners of the door V10 as shown in the drawings, the door 10 will be supported in such a manner that it can travel or move back and forth, and it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular door construction and also the adjustable roller ,assembly of the present invention can be used with any type 0f door as desired or required. With the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, it will be seen that the bracket 15 is connected to the door 10 by means of the screws 33, and the threaded openings 31 in the bracket 15 threadedly receive the screws 33. The opening 28 in the bracket 15 registers with the opening 30 in the side member 11 whereby a suitable tool can be inserted through these registering openings for engagement with the cutouts 27 in the screw member 23 so that the screw member 23 can be rotated in the securing element or nut 22. For example by rotating the screw member 23 in one direction the screw member 23 will move in a forward direction so that the pointed end 25 will bear against the top section 36 of the support member 34 so as to pivot the support member 34 downwardly about an axis extending through the pivot pin 39. This will have the effect of lowering the roller 42 so that the roller 42 will properly engage the track 13. Similarly, by turning or rotating the screw member 23 inthe opposite direction, the end portion 25 will move away from the top section 36 so asto permit pivotal movement of the support member 34 in a counterclockwise direction, FIGURE 4, whereby upward adjustment or movement of the roller 42 is possible. Y

The flanges 21 serve as stop shoulders so as to limit movement of the nut 22 as the screw member 23 is adjusted. However, there is some clearance between the nut 22 and the flanges 21 so as to permit the nut 22 to move slightly as the screw member 23 is rotated.

Therparts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes.

As a specific application ofthe present invention, the

device can be used on patio doors.

The opening 28 may have an oval shape.

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided an adjustable roller assembly which rides on a track at the bottom of a rollling door. By turning the adjustment screw 23 which is reached with a tool such as a screw driver extended through the access hole 28 and through the hole 30 located'on each side of the door approximately 11/2" from the bottom of the door, the assembly can be adjusted. The doors may have an aluminum extrusion frame or a channeled steel frame and the adjustable roller assembly is adapted to be completely housed inside the frame.

The present invention not only provides an adjustment for the door so that the device can be used to raise and lower and align the door whereby it will meet the door jambs perfectly plumb and flush, but it will also form a structural part of the ,door and act as a vcorner bracket and brace. The extruded hole 31 below the access hole 28 is for a self-tapping screw 33 so as to hold the device rmly in place. The openings 17 are of a proper. diameter to receiver a steel rod 18 which extends therethrough and is connected to the bottom rail 12 so as to pin the assembly permanently and rigidly to the bottom rail 12 whereby the entire assembly remains rigid and permanent at all times.

Thus, it will be seen that an important feature of the present invention is that the roller assembly incorporates both an adjustment and a structural corner bracket allin one device.

Heretofore rolling doors have been adjusted by `havin'g at least two persons remove the door and the add orLremove shims in an almost stationary Wheel housing. Then, the several persons put the door backin place and check the alignment, and if the doors do not align perfect- 1y with the door jambs, the same operation mustibe repeated until the alignment is satisfactory. With the adjustable roller assembly of the present invention, one person can adjust even the largest and heaviestdoor without removing the door from the track, merely by inserting and turning the tool and checking the alignment simultaneously and the entire adjustment takes only a very short period of time.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming -Within the eld of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

I claim:

In combination with a movable ldoor and a track therebelow, said door including vertically disposed spaced parallel U-shaped side members and a horizontally disposed bottom rail, the improvement consisting in providing an adjustable roller assembly, one vof the adjustable roller assemblies bein'g arranged contiguous to each lower corner portion of the door, said roller assembly incorporating and providing both an adjustment and a structural corner bracket all in the same device, each of said adjustable roller assemblies embodying a U-shaped bracket comprising a pair of spaced parallel rectangular side Walls provided with opposed registering apertures, a rod extending through said apertures for securing said bracket to said bottom rail, there being opposed cutouts in said side walls, inwardly struck flanges projecting in- Wardly from said side Walls contiguous to said cutouts, a securing element arranged contiguous to said cutouts and positioned between said flanges whereby the flanges Aserve to limit movement ofthe securing elements, a screw member including a threaded shank threadedly engaging said securing element, there being a slight clearance between the securingelement and the anges so as to permit the securing element to move slightly as the screw member is rotated, said screw member having a tool engagingl head on one end thereof and there being on the other end of said screw member an integral pointed portion, said bracket further including a crosspiece connecting said side walls together, said side members and crosspiece having registering access openingstherein whereby a tool can be arranged in engagement With the head of the screw member, said crosspiece being secured to the corresponding adjacent side member by means of a screw which extends through registering openings in the Vside member and crosspiece, a support member adjustably arranged bev References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES `llfflblTS Deering May 25,1869

90,345 2,668,318 Le Bon Feb. 9, 1954 2,719,340 Best et a1. Oct. 4, 1955 2,857,633

Bunker Oct. 28, 1958 

